US Department of State Daily Briefing #10:
Thursday, 1/16/92
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Jan, 16 19921/16/92
Category: Briefings
Region: Eurasia, MidEast/North Africa, Caribbean, E/C Europe
Country: Yugoslavia (former), Croatia, Slovenia,
Serbia-Montenegro, Cuba, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, Russia, Georgia,
Germany
Subject: Democratization, Development/Relief Aid,
Arms Control, Nuclear Nonproliferation, State Department,
Regional/Civil Unrest, Immigration, Mideast Peace Process,
Human Rights
12:34 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BOUCHER: First, I'd like to note a couple of
housekeeping things. I think we put up a notice yesterday about
credentialing for the Coordinating Conference. We'll be putting
up something shortly after this briefing about questions such as
C Street -- the lobby, the garage, the elevators. I'm sure you
all care about this. This is going to affect all of our lives,
and I would encourage everyone to get copies of the notice that
we should have in the Press Office very shortly for you.
Yesterday, I gave you an update on the discussions that
Under Secretary Bartholomew and his team are having in Moscow.
If there's any interest, I'd be glad to do that again off the
top for you. Barry says no.
Q No, no. I'm up to speed.
[Former Soviet Union: Bartholomew Mission
Discussions with Russia]
MR. BOUCHER: Somebody else said yes. Under Secretary
Bartholomew and his team met this morning with the Russian
Foreign Ministry and the general staff to discuss nuclear
safety, security, and dismantling. They're meeting again this
afternoon with the same group to discuss treaties and
non-proliferation issues.
Experts on safety, security, and dismantling met last
night and this morning. These people are experts from the
State, Defense, and Energy Departments. They're meeting with
the general staff and with the Ministry of Atomic Power.
They're discussing how the authorities in Moscow are
going about their programs of removal and dismantling of nuclear
weapons and how we can best be of assistance.
Another experts group on non-proliferation issues met
this morning and will meet again this afternoon. This group is
discussing non-proliferation, export controls and arms
transfers.
Under Secretary Bartholomew will meet with Russian
Foreign Minister Kozyrev tomorrow. Bartholomew and his team are
planning to go onto Kiev on Saturday morning. They will also
visit Minsk and Alma-Ata, but I don't have the schedule of those
stops yet.
Q Do you know if this team also will be taking up
negotiations, pure and simple? In other words, is part of their
mission to go beyond START, to talk about further cuts? Pure
and simple, negotiating? It doesn't sound like they're talking.
MR. BOUCHER: I haven't asked that question to them
specifically. Certainly, they have a lot of issues to discuss.
I'd just point out that part of this process of the issues of
safety, security, and part of the issues of dismantling and the
movement of nuclear weapons, those are things that come into
play with President Bush's initiative and the response by
President Gorbachev last fall, which involved sort of future
arms control efforts that both sides would be making. So
they're discussing a whole range of issues that impact on the
future of nuclear weapons.
Q As you said, dismantling and destruction of
nuclear weapons are the key priority for this team. Do you have
any idea how many --
MR. BOUCHER: We've also emphasized export controls and
proliferation issues.
Q But in this respect, do you have any idea how many
of these weapons would be dismantled and destroyed?
MR. BOUCHER: I think I have to leave that for the
Russians and the other republics -- the new independent states
-- to define. They have had announcements on this question at
Alma-Ata and the Minsk meetings, I think. I'm sure that's the
information, to the extent that they've made it available.
Chris.
Q About the American experts learning how they are
going about the dismantling of these weapons, have they, in fact
-- have the experts, the American experts, been told that actual
dismantling has already taken place, that nuclear devices have
been destroyed?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know, Chris. Again, I didn't ask
that question. I don't know what the answer is. I think at the
recent meetings that they have had, they reasserted their
intention to carry out the process of moving the tactical
nuclear weapons to Russia and to dismantle them there. I think
they've said clearly the process was underway. I'm not sure if
they've said yet, in any detail, exactly where they are, but
that's the kind of thing we expect to be discussing.
Q Do you know how far along the process of moving
the tactical nuclear weapons back into the Russian republic has
progressed?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, Bill, that's --
Q There was some representations as long ago as two
weeks that it had been all but finished.
MR. BOUCHER: Again, Bill, that's something I think I
have to leave for them to discuss.
Q Richard, do you anticipate --
MR. BOUCHER: Rick.
Q Would it be possible, since there are a lot of
questions, that we have -- and this is such a big issue -- would
it be possible for us to have a Backgrounder with Reg
(Bartholomew) when he get back here to ask these questions since
he'll have answers --
MR. BOUCHER: We'll put the issue to him, I'm sure. As
you know, he just got there yesterday. They hit the ground
running. They've been in meetings; they've had experts meeting;
they're continuing their meetings. We expect to have more
information for you as time goes on.
They try to call me every morning. I'll try to ask
some of these questions and see if there are answers to them at
this point. I'll take your request under advisement and we'll
see when Reggie gets back if he can come down and talk to you.
Q Is this a good time to ask the Department to
capsule its views of the Mideast -- this round? Do you think
anything was accomplished, particularly? It looks like you're
going to be the host again.
MR. BOUCHER: Well, you get into three different
questions. Let me try to do them separately.
The first on, what time is it? Where are we? Let me
run through what I know about meetings. There was a general
meeting of the Israeli and joint Jordanian-Palestinian
delegations this morning at 8:45. This was followed at 9:30 by
a meeting of the Israeli-Jordanian track.
The Israeli delegations have told us that they intend
to return to Israel this afternoon. We know of no other
meetings scheduled today between the parties.
We understand the parties are discussing timing of the
next round. We've not been informed of any agreements on the
resumption of the next meetings or the venue at this point.
We are having meetings with various parties and
delegation members. I think you've seen on Ambassador
Djerejian's schedule that he's meeting with the Jordanians,
Lebanese, and the Syrians today. I know of no other meetings
like that.
And then, finally, let me say that where I think we
stand. We think that this round of talks was important and that
significant procedural issues were resolved and all of the
parties are engaged.
As we've said before, the issues to be negotiated are
complex and, thus, the negotiations are expected to be tough.
The key is to remain on course towards achieving a comprehensive
settlement to the Arab-Israeli dispute. The only way to move
down this road is for the parties to engage in direct
discussions of their differences. That is what they're now
doing, and we think that is a significant achievement.
Q Richard, another subject. Bonn has complained
that unless the other parties to the Coordinating Conference are
willing to come up with some serious aid, it would be a waste of
time since it currently distributes the vast bulk of the aid to
the Soviet Union. Do you have any response?
MR. BOUCHER: Bill, Bonn is a pretty good, big place as
Washington is a pretty big place. I'm not going to start
commenting --
Q Much smaller, actually.
MR. BOUCHER: It's bigger than my town.
Q It has a river --
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to get into commenting on
unnamed officials, be they German or other. On the general
question of assistance, I can review for you what we've
expressed before about the conference and the efforts that
people are making.
Certainly, we appreciate the active role that the
Germans have played in the preparations for this meeting next
week. As you know -- I think Margaret told you last week --
they were part of the preparatory meeting that we had last
Wednesday. As others have as well, they've played an active
role in that process.
As the Secretary has made clear, the conference is to
focus on how to help the people in the new independent states
get through this winter and help take the steps necessary to
ensure a better situation next winter.
The Secretary also has made very clear that many,
including Germany and the United States, have done much already,
and the conference will help us coordinate our efforts and make
all of them more effective.
Q Richard, you said before that the conference is
not to be a pledging session. And yet there's been a call from
several quarters, including Bonn -- somewhere in the city --
for new pledges to help the Soviet Union get through the winter.
Is that likely? Do you anticipate that there will be new
pledges, new announcements?
MR. BOUCHER: I think we'll just have to see what
happens when we get there.
Q Well, what's it supposed to do?
MR. BOUCHER: It's a coordinating conference. It's an
effort to pool our ideas, our knowledge, our energies; to look
at what we're all doing, to look at how we can make our efforts
more effective.
Q But what good does that do unless there's more aid
forthcoming?
MR. BOUCHER: First of all, it makes our efforts more
effective. That's the goal of it. I just don't want to go
beyond that now.
Q Can I go back to the Middle East for a second?
Has the United States offered to host the next round of talks in
Washington this coming month? Also, do you have anything new
vis-a-vis the Palestinian situation and the multilateral talks
in Moscow? Are they still on?
MR. BOUCHER: The question of the timing of the next
round, as I said, is something that's been discussed by the
parties. Obviously, we'll stay in touch with the parties as we
did between December and January, but they have been discussing
these issues and we hope they can work it out.
Q What about the invitation to the Palestinians?
MR. BOUCHER: Oh, the invitation to the Palestinians?
It's more or less where it was yesterday, if I can find the
list.
The invitation to the multilaterals was delivered here
in Washington to the Palestinians. The Palestinians are
considering the invitation but have not yet given us a formal
reply.
Q But in Jerusalem they declined to accept the
invitation.
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we've done it again in
Jerusalem.
Q Right.
MR. BOUCHER: We've gone back. As I said, we had a
talk with them here yesterday.
Q Follow-up again -- sorry. Is the U.S. prepared to
host the talks again? What is your position on venue?
MR. BOUCHER: Howard, our position on venue is that
we're always glad to help out, but that this is an issue that
essentially we remain neutral on. We've encouraged them to work
out these questions.
Q Do you have anything new on Haiti?
Q Wait. Do you have anything on the -- just to stay
on this.
MR. BOUCHER: Just to stay on the Middle East. Is that
okay?
Q Do you have anything on the domestic political
situation in Israel?
MR. BOUCHER: No.
Q (Laughter) Okay
MR. BOUCHER: And I don't expect to -- ever.
(Laughter)
[Haiti: Situation Update]
Jan, you were asking about Haiti. I think we put up a
review of the political situation yesterday afternoon for you,
if you want to know about people and numbers.
Q The embargo as well.
MR. BOUCHER: At this point the embargo has not
changed. I think there was some mention of that in the -- in
what we put up yesterday. I know the OAS has said that they
would look at the embargo in light of developments. I don't
think we have any contention with that.
We've said previously that with the restoration of
constitutional rule in Haiti, that we would look at the embargo.
Q There was some talk late last night that the
embargo might be lifted. I was just wondering if you had
anything on that.
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know who is "some talk," but I
wasn't talking at that point. But, in any case, you know, it's
something that we keep under review.
Q I think it was an AFP report that said that the
OAS was considering.
MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think the OAS Secretary General,
if I remember correctly, said something the other day about --
that as this process proceeded, we'd keep the embargo under
review.
Q Richard, back to the Coordinating Conference, how
many nations were invited, and how many accepted?
MR. BOUCHER: At this point that's a question that we
haven't answered for a week, and I'm not answering today.
Q When will we know the answer, or will we have to
compare it when they get here?
MR. BOUCHER: I think Margaret has said that we expect
to put out a list of attendees around the time of the
conference.
Q Have any refused, though? Do we know if anybody
has said, "We will not come"?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I'm not getting into who's invited
and who's coming and who's not, and that sort of stuff. If
nations want to say something on their own behalf, they can do
that.
Q Were there any standards --
Q Some other countries have put out numbers of those
invited.
MR. BOUCHER: That's fine.
Q Would you care to --
MR. BOUCHER: No, I wouldn't.
Q -- comment? How about 43? How does that number
sound? Or accepted, rather, I mean, so far.
MR. BOUCHER: Bill, I'm not here to do numbers on this
today. I think we made that very, very clear over the last few
days.
Q Richard, what would have been -- what were the
standards for inviting or not inviting people? Were they people
already -- countries already contributing in some fashion;
people that had indicated -- I mean, what was -- why were some
invited and other countries not?
MR. BOUCHER: Rick, it's a shame you haven't been here
for the last week while we've been asked these questions. I'm
afraid that's a question, too, that we haven't wanted to get
into. Margaret said that at the time that we put out the list,
if people want to ask us questions about why so and so was not
invited, we would explain the standards then.
Q I was hoping you might answer today.
MR. BOUCHER: I'm hoping I'm not.
Howard, and then we'll come back.
Q I thought I saw a report on fresh fighting in
southern Iraq. Do you have anything on the situation going on
there?
MR. BOUCHER: I haven't seen that. I'll have to look
and see.
Q Anything fresh on Yugoslavia?
MR. BOUCHER: Johanna has something.
[Former Soviet Union: Reported Return of Georgian President]
Q Yes. I was going to ask you about the situation
in Georgia, and whether there was any comment from here about
the return of the President?
MR. BOUCHER: As for the actual location of
Gamsakhurdia, we've seen the press reports that he returned to
Georgia yesterday evening. He apparently held a rally in a city
called Zugdidi, in which he called on those gathered to march on
Tbilisi and declared the beginning of a civil war.
Again, that's all from press reports. I do think it's
important that we make very, very clear our position all along
has been to condemn the use of force, to condemn the use of
violence. We've repeatedly stressed that political disputes in
Georgia and elsewhere should be resolved peacefully through
negotiation and in a manner consistent with internationally
recognized human rights principles.
We do condemn the use of violence, and we call on all
sides to work to halt the overall deterioration in the political
life of Georgia.
Q Does that mean that -- do I deduce from that, that
you're not happy with a call for civil war?
MR. BOUCHER: We're never happy with any calls to
violence nor with the use of violence. I don't see how a call
to civil war -- if, in fact, it was made that way -- could help
anybody's followers.
Q Richard, I don't know if this will be productive,
but let me try anyhow. The State Department has been calling on
the negotiators in the Mideast to deal with substance, and
unless I misunderstand, these parties threaten to bring down the
Israeli Government if the negotiations deal with substance.
I mean, you may not want to comment on the political
situation in Israel, but isn't the situation such that the
negotiations are hamstrung?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry --
Q I mean, your statement speaks of procedure. Well,
you know, everybody is, I'm sure, delighted that a procedure has
been set up, but the procedure is a way of getting at the
issues. Now, can they get at the issues? Do you want them to
get at the issues?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, you know that we have repeatedly
said that we want them to get to the issues. We want them to
discuss the substance of the matters there. We've repeatedly
urged them to do that from the very beginning.
You're right. I'm not going to try to insert myself in
the internal political debate within Israel, but it's just --
it's a fact that there was -- there were some differences at the
last round that were resolved at this round; that people are
talking to each other. The parties are engaged in discussions
with each other on the differences between them, and we think
that's a positive and important development.
[Cuba: US Residents Under Death Sentence]
Q The Supreme Court in Cuba has upheld the death
sentences of two of the three men caught there with weapons last
month. Is there a reaction to that and the fact that during the
hearing these men said that they had been trained in the United
States with the knowledge of the U.S. Government?
MR. BOUCHER: To take the last part of your question
first, once again I will say that any allegations of U.S.
Government involvement are wrong. We have said that --
Q That doesn't speak to the knowledge of the U.S.
Government.
MR. BOUCHER: I think that's a pretty fine point. But,
in any case, we've said that the FBI has opened an investigation
into the matter. I'm sure they will be looking into potential
violations of the Neutrality Act, and they'll be looking into
all this. But I do think it's important to make very clear that
the U.S. Government was not involved in any way in this.
The Secretary has commented on this in Mexico City, and
I'll try to get you a comment -- a copy of his comments. We
have noted that the -- and welcome the fact that the Cuban
Supreme Court has reduced the death sentence of one of the three
exiles.
We understand the next step is the Cuban Council of
State must consider the sentences, and we would certainly hope
that they would decide to spare the lives of the other two men
as well. We've made our concerns about these death sentences
known to the Cuban Government in both Havana and Washington.
Q Anything new on Yugoslavia?
MR. BOUCHER: The situation appears to be that the
ceasefire is generally continuing to hold. There have been
scattered incidents of fighting that continue to occur.
Q Has Ambassador Kirkpatrick's commentary in the
Monday Post influenced or will it influence U.S. policy towards
recognition?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm sorry, I didn't read Ambassador
Kirkpatrick's commentary, so I certainly couldn't answer that
question.
Q Did anybody --
MR. BOUCHER: As for the question of recognition, I
don't have anything new to say on the subject today. We keep
this kind of issue under review, as always in situations like
this, and that's where we remain.
Q Did anybody from --
Q Is this the first time you said from the podium
that it's under review, though, or is it just a phrase that
you're imprecise?
MR. BOUCHER: It's certainly part of the situation.
It's part of what's going on. We always keep this question of
recognition as well as all the other developments under review
in situations like this.
Q Did anybody from the former royal family of
Yugoslavia visit the State Department yesterday?
MR. BOUCHER: Not that I've heard of. I can
double-check.
Q Can you check it?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. I'll double-check.
Q Richard, about recognition under review, what
about the other former Soviet republics that have not been
formally recognized -- diplomatic relations? Is that under
review? Is something going to happen there?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I think that's something that
we've answered in recent days. We put up something yesterday
that said we had received a letter from Kyrgystan, which means
that from the six that we had asked to have diplomatic relations
with, we've received positive replies from all of them.
I think we've said before that we were continuing our
contacts and engaged with the other republics to discuss these
issues with them, and that our policy would be guided by the
five principles that we've enunciated, and what they are doing
in that regard.
Q (Inaudible) I thought there were a couple of
outcasts among them.
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to check if it's every single
one of them, but certainly the general policy view is the same
for all.
Q Thank you.
MR. BOUCHER: Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 12:55 p.m.)